A/N First, my apologies for such a long period between chapters. I will explain more below. Second, I would like to thank everyone for their patience.
A/N I do not own the World of Potter. It belongs to JKR. I’m just playing here for a while.
Harry awoke the next morning with the sun shining in his face. He stretched and opened his eyes and was startled to find himself in a strange room. He shook his head as if to clear it and remembered that he had taken over what was once his parents’ room.
He looked around the room once more and his eyes landed on the jewelry box. He threw the covers off and jumped out of bed, crossing the room in a flash, and reverently touched the box. Harry opened the box and started to take the jewelry out of it ever so gently. The necklaces of his mother’s were beautiful, but what really caught his eye was the signet ring in the lower right corner of the box. The ring had a garnet setting with an inlaid, ornate P in the center of it.
Harry took the ring out of the box and brought it more into the light. It looked like it had been in his family for quite some time. He put the ring on his finger and was a bit disappointed when it was too large for him to wear. He was about to take it off to put it back in the box when it began to change sizes. It seemed the ring was shrinking to fit his finger. He held his hand away from him so he could look at the ring on his finger, and decided he liked the way it looked.
Harry had showered and was wrapped in a towel when Ginny walked into the room.
“Harry, it’s time for…you’re not dressed,” Ginny said as she squealed. She turned away, blushed, and ran through the door and letting it slam behind her. “Oh Merlin, I am so sorry Harry. I thought you would still be asleep or would be up and dressed by now,” she said through the closed door. “Mum sent me to tell you breakfast is ready.”
Harry was trying very hard not to laugh at Ginny’s discomfort, “Well I would be if you had given me about 2 more minutes,” he yelled through the closed door.
Harry thought he could understand something about breakfast being ready. He chuckled and turned back toward his clothes to put them on when there was another person bursting into his room.
“What are you doing to my sister?” Ron yelled, holding the poker to the fireplace in his hands like a weapon.
“I need to remember to lock the door,” Harry exclaimed wryly.
“Have you gone mental? I asked you a question! What are you doing to my sister in here? Why are you in a TOWEL? You two haven’t been…”
“Ron, wait. I had just gotten out of the shower when Ginny burst in here, not unlike you just did. I swear, that is all that happened. Now, if you don’t mind, put the weapon down. Your sister’s virtue is still intact. I’d like to get dressed in peace. Or is there anyone else that would like to interrupt?”
Ron’s ears turned bright red; his face was quickly following. He turned even redder when Hermione also burst through the door.
“What is all the commotion in h…?” Hermione abruptly stopped in the doorway when she saw Harry’s state of undress. She promptly turned around and left the room, blushing fiercely and not saying another word.
“Merlin, I had to ask didn’t I? Get out Ron. And watch the door to make sure no one else can come through it until I am at least dressed. What does a gent have to do around here to get some privacy?” Harry grumbled as he started to pull on his shirt.
As Ron stood outside of Harry’s door, much like a guard, the hilarity of the situation hit him. He doubled over in laughter, seemingly unable to stop himself. This is how Harry found him a few minutes later as he emerged from his room, now fully dressed.
“The look on ‘Mione’s face was classic! I don’t think she could have timed that better if she had tried,” Ron said between gasps and giggles.
“I’ve never seen her speechless before,” Harry said, laughing and holding his sides.
Ron looked at Harry for a few seconds as if he had lost his mind, and then he joined in on the laughter. Harry took the poker out of Ron’s limp grasp and returned it to the room that Ron had chosen to be his own yesterday afternoon. The two boys were still laughing when they entered the kitchen.
~*~*~*~
Ginny and Hermione were sitting in the kitchen trying to get their embarrassment under control when Mrs. Weasley walked in to put the finishing touches on breakfast. She did not even spare a glance towards the girls until the boys came in to the kitchen still laughing.
“What is going on with the two of you this morning,” Mrs. Weasley said to the boys. The boys sobered very quickly. Knowing they were not going to get away with anything less than the truth, they explained what had happened. By the end of the explanation, Mrs. Weasley was laughing right along with them.
“Something similar happened on my first visit to your grandparents’ house,” she exclaimed between giggles, looking at her children. “The entire experience taught me the usefulness of knocking on doors.” Mrs. Weasley gave Hermione and Ginny a very knowing look.
The girls had been horrified when the explanation began. Now they found themselves laughing right along with the rest of them.
“Ms. Wheezy will be needing Idget for anything else? Or may Idget start cleaning upstairs?” Idget asked as he popped up behind Mrs. Weasley.
Mrs. Weasley was so startled by Idget’s appearance that she knocked over her morning tea. This poor little house-elf jumped at her sudden movement, stepping on Harry’s toes. Harry then bumped into Ron, who fell into an empty chair.
“Oh! Master Harry Potter, sir, Idget is so very sorry. Please accept Idget’s most sincere apology,” Idget stammered when he stepped on Harry’s foot. Is Master Harry Potter, sir, injured?”
Harry was taken aback at the seriousness of Idget’s statement and apology. “I am fine, Idget. Please call me Harry. I am really not comfortable with this Master-Harry-Potter-sir business. I am just Harry,” Harry said, leaning down on one knee to look Idget straight in the eye.
“Idget will try, Master Harry Pot…..Master Harry, sir,” Idget said while blushing. “May Idget get started with his cleaning now? Idget does not want Dobby and Winky to think him lazy!” Idget said with a determined look on his face.
“Well, that’s a start. You can do whatever you need to do Idget, on two conditions,” Harry said as he looked over at Ginny and winked. “First, try not to sneak up on people. It has a tendency to make them jumpy. And second, you must take a break every hour. You rest for at least 10 minutes for each hour of work. Dobby and Winky have been given the same instructions. I don’t want the three of you so tired that you cannot join us for dinner.”
“But Master Harry, sir, we is only house-elves. We cannot eat at a table with so many great wizards,” Idget said as he hung his head.
“Idget…you, Dobby, and Winky are now part of my family, and family eats together. I won’t take no for an answer,” Harry said with a stern look on his face.
“F….family? We is part of your family, sir?” Idget said as a tear fell down his face and his lip began to quiver. The small house-elf ran forward, hugging Harry’s knees. “Idget thought that when elder master Potter died, and young Master James never came back, that Idget would never have a family again. Master Harry is truly a great wizard, he has made Idget very happy. Idget is going to go clean now. Idget will only be a pop away if you need Idget’s assistance.” Idget gave Harry one more hug around the knees looked at the others around the table, and bowed deeply before he popped out of the room.
Harry looked at the faces around the table and saw that Hermione’s mouth was hanging open in a look of shock.
“Hermione, you must close your mouth before a fly lands in there,” Harry said with a laugh. “For someone who had very little family for so many years, my family just keeps growing now. So, what’s for breakfast? All this excitement and laughter has given me an appetite,” Harry said to change the subject quickly.
Laughter filled the room. Harry noticed that there had been a lot more laughter in the past few days.
~*~*~*
The extra training started that very afternoon. Harry and the others were kept so busy that the days seemed to melt into one another until it was time for the trial of Delores Umbridge.
Harry was not looking forward to seeing Professor Umbridge, but he knew that he ha to go to the trial. Even if he was the only one speaking out, something had to be done.
As usual, a full guard escorted Harry and his friends to the Ministry. Harry remembered his walk down these same halls last summer and the trepidation he had felt at the time. This time was much different, he was not the one on trial.
Harry slowed as they passed the Hall of Mysteries on the way to the arena-type room that the Wizengamot held it’s trials. His expression was that of great sadness for just a moment.
“He will always be with us Harry. We have other matters to attend to today,” Remus whispered close to his ear.
Harry squared his shoulders, squeezed Ginny’s hand, and moved on toward the courtroom.
As they entered the large room, Harry noticed how many people had actually shown up for this case. It appeared that someone had expanded the room to fit over two hundred Hogwarts students and their families.
The murmuring increased when Harry and his party entered the room. It seemed as if every eye in the room were on him. Some of the members of the Wizengamot were actually leaning forward and stretching to get a look at him.
Just as the stares and whispers were getting to Harry, the room went completely silent, except for the shuffling of people trying to get a look as the guards brought the prisoner in. Umbridge was brought in and placed in the main chair in the center of the room. She seemed so resigned to her fate that the guards did not even chain her to the chair.
Amelia Bones stood to read a long roll of parchment with all of the charges on it. There were over two hundred sixty different charges brought against Delores Umbridge. Umbridge sat quietly looking around the room as the charges against her were being read. When her eyes fell on Harry, she bolted from the chair and seemed to fly at him.
“This is all your fault you little monster! Dumbledore is too soft on all of you! Liar! He lied saying that You-know-who is back. LIES! The blood quill was not a fit punishment for you! There should have been beatings! I’d still be running Hogwarts if it were not for you! I wish the Dementors I had sent after you had done you in! CRUCIO!” Umbridge screamed as she lunged for him, apparently forgetting she had no wand. Her eyes were completely wild as he reached her hands forward as if to strangle Harry once she reached him. She never made it that far. All at once, there were stun spells flying from the guards, from the adults that came with Harry, and even a few from the Wizengamot level.
Delores Umbridge was hit in mid-flight by no less than ten stun spells. She fell to the floor like a sack of bricks. Oddly enough, no one seemed in much of a hurry to revive her or to move her.
“It seems as though we have a confession. This calls for no less than a fifty-year sentence for magical and physical damage done to minors while in a position of authority, misuse of magical creatures in the control of the Ministry, and use of an unforgivable curse in the presence of many witnesses. Ms. Umbridge will have to spend some time in St. Mungos’ to make sure there was no permanent damage done by the stun spells, and to ensure that she is mentally sane to carry out her sentence. After which, she will be moved to the Ministry’s new prison facility. I apologize on behalf of the Wizengamot for Ms. Umbridge’s theatrics. This case is now closed,” said Amelia Bones with a definite authority.
The room sat in silence for a moment, trying to absorb all that had happened. Then everyone was speaking at once. The children were almost disappointed that they were not able to testify. The parents were in shock that Umbridge had gone so mental. Dumbledore just looked at Harry with twinkling eyes and smiled.
Harry had been so worried, but Umbridge had buried herself. Her outburst and mad dash had cost her freedom.
As people began to exit the courtroom, Seamus Finnegan stepped out of the mob, with his mother in tow. Harry braced himself for yet another confrontation.
“Hello Harry. This is me mum. Mum, this is Harry Potter. You had something to say to him,” said Seamus, with a mischievous grin on his face.
“Ummm…well yes,” Mrs. Finnegan cleared her throat and shifted her feet. “I wanted to apologize. I should not have believed everything I read. It’s just when you hear things like that coming from a child…” she broke off, looking at the adults around her.
“Sometimes the greatest words of wisdom come from the mouths of children, Mrs. Finnegan. I hear you thought I was a nutter too,” Professor Dumbledore said and winked down at Harry.
“You can’t always believe what you read Mrs. Finnegan, especially when it comes from the mouth of former Minister Fudge. But I don’t blame you. If I had not seen Voldemort come back to life myself, I never would have believed it,” Harry said, wincing at the gasps all around him for using Voldemort’s name. Harry sighed, “If we can’t call him by his name, how are we ever going to win this war? Worry not, Ms Finnegan, I hold no ill will to you or your son. Glad to have you back, mate” Harry said, shaking Seamus’ hand before turning to walk away.
“Very well done Harry,” said Remus, clapping him on the back. “I never really liked Laurel Finnegan, she was so uppity at school. It was nice to see you put her in her place.”
Harry turned to look at Remus and burst out laughing.
“Let’s go home. I’ll cook a big meal and we can celebrate,” Harry heard from behind. At first he thought this was coming from Mrs. Weasley, but as he turned to look, he saw Petunia’s eyes light up. “That is if Molly will help me,” she said almost sheepishly.
The entire group left the Ministry of Magic laughing and smiling. None of them noticed the figure with the light blonde hair standing in the shadows watching as they went by.
A/N I know…I know….too long between chapters. The injury I sustained to my back was a bit more serious than first thought. I sincerely apologize for the delay, but it was not until recently that I was able to concentrate enough to write. I will definitely try to do better on the time frame. Please let me know what you guys think of the chapter!